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Shanghai
has become the second city in China after Beijing to enforce "State 3"emissions
standards fro public transportation vehicles and taxis. Shanghai began enforcing
new rules for operating these vehicles according to "State 3" standards. The
new standards were applied 11 months early, with initial plans previously scheduled
to go into effect on July 1, 2007, for light vehicles only. Municipal
public transportation systems, including buses and taxis, account for 80 percent
of total passenger transport volume and 60 percent of fuel consumption. This is
a majour source of air pollution in urban areas, which is why these vehicles are
required to meet "State 3" emissions standards first. About 25,000 buses
and taxis throughout Shanghai will likely either be replaced with the new standards. Also
starting August1, all trucks throughout the city were given clean vehicle marks,
in order to further reduce air pollution. According to the new regulation, low-speed
trucks and cargo vans from other provinces are banned from entering the city¡¯s
inner ring roads. The
only current problem, say industry experts, may lie in the low-quality diesel
fuel used in Shanghai, which could fail to meet the requirements for Euro 3 engines.
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